GUTTENBERG, NJ — A Ridgefield Park man was arrested Monday in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that occurred in Guttenberg in May.
On Friday, May 10, at approximately 4:42 p.m., Guttenberg Police Department patrol officers responded to a medical emergency at a private residence in the Town of Guttenberg.
Upon arrival, officers found the victim, an 18-year-old woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were indications of a possible drug overdose, prompting a response from detectives with the Guttenberg Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit.
On scene, detectives determined that the victim had ingested a substance that led to her death.
A months-long investigation was launched into the circumstances of the death and related drug activity.
Detectives concluded that the controlled dangerous substance responsible for the victim’s death contained fentanyl.
Following the investigation, police identified Joshua V. Burgos, 30, of Ridgefield Park, as the individual who distributed the narcotics that led to the victim’s death.
On Monday, March 2, 2026, detectives from the Guttenberg Police Department arrested Burgos at a residence in Ridgefield Park.
During the arrest, detectives discovered numerous pills of an unknown nature, along with drug paraphernalia and U.S. currency.
Burgos was charged with first-degree Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Death, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-9.
He was remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Center pending his first appearance in Hudson County Superior Court in Jersey City.
The charges are accusations, and Burgos is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty in a court of law.
